Beyond the Grave
Beyond the Grave is the silent deadman reincarnation of Brandon Heat and the protagonist of the Gungrave series. Synopsis Note: The earlier parts are from the anime and the game Gungrave After Brandon died at the hands of Harry McDowell, Dr. Tokioka, at Brandon's request, salvaged his body and began the process of resurrecting him, planning to use him to cleanse himself of his sins (creating Seed). Big Daddy found out about this and punched Dr. T, asking for him to never bring him back to life, for he deserves to be in peace. Thirteen years later, Mika Asagi, daughter of Maria, appeared with a large metallic box. Dr. T took her in and drove off in his Truck, under chase by the Orgmen. Soon halted and surrounded, Dr. T decided to give Grave his first test, as he awoke and opened the Box, revealing two large magnums created by Dr. T. He massacred many Orgmen, and destroyed a van with the rocket attachment of his coffin. He then began his search for Harry, killing his elite guards first, such as Bob Poundmax. Soon Balladbird Lee, in anger for Bob's death, kidnapped Mika, and battled Grave as Dr. T took her to safety. After a long battle, Grave emerged the victor, but at the cost of Dr. T's life. Next up was Bear Walken, once Grave's trainer and his saviour in someway. Walken was defeated, and killed. Game Universe Now was the final push, as Grave had just one guard before Harry, Bunji Kugashira, his battle buddy. Although he emerged victorious, it did make him think more about life. He finally reached Harry, who sent a Seed version of Big Daddy against him, Grave defeated this abomination and had Harry at his mercy. Harry allowed him to fire, which he did. With his mission complete, he left with Mika, looking for a new home. Anime Universe Some time before his showdown with Bunji, Grave attacked Millennion's research facility. He killed Orgmen and destroyed the lab, but he spared the scientists. Unfortunately, this later enabled Biscoe to re-hire them to produce Anti-Necrolyze bullets. As Grave went to face Bunji, he reminisced his last few moments with Mika. Mika asked him if they (Mika and Grave) were a family. Smiling, Grave nodded and answered with a 'yes.' This delighted Mika, who then hugged him and said that she would have faith in Grave, who would come back to her. Unfortunately, the happy moment did not last long. Mika soon discovered that Grave's body was falling apart. As Grave walked into Millennion's building, he remembered the moment a crying Mika begged him not to leave, forget about his revenge, and leave the town with her. Knowing that his time was about to end, Grave consoled Mika and told her to move on. Mika however, was still crying, and Grave decided to knock her out to leave. Inside the building, Grave met Bunji. A massive gunfight ensued, but Grave's weakened body hindered him. Seeing this, Bunji picked up Grave's Left Head, which he had just knocked off from Grave by shooting him on his left arm. He then asked Grave to 'end the fight.' Grave agreed and reloaded his Right Head with Anti-Superior clip. Bunji was defeated in a Western-style exchange. Grave then headed to Harry's office. However, he didn't find Harry; instead, he only saw Harry's old pictures, which included the old gang. Soon, Grave's left arm broke off. After that, Grave walked down the streets slowly (and limply) and headed towards his old home at the slum. Due to his weakened body, he passed out in the middle of his journey. When Grave finally arrived at the slum, he met Harry and pointed his Right Head at Harry. However, it turned out that he was out of bullets. Later, Grave (Brandon) and Harry entered Jolice's bar and sat across each other at a table. Harry started the conversation, which led to a question: why Brandon didn't kill him back then. Brandon answered that he believed Harry would become the boss. Harry said that Brandon was correct, and after some arguments regarding Millennion, Harry took out a bottle of bourbon and proposed a toast. Harry began talking about Big Daddy, and he soon pointed out that Big Daddy was as evil as his crimes. Brandon argued back by saying that Big Daddy was actually aware of his crimes, which was why he sought harmony. Unable to stand Brandon's loyalty towards Big Daddy, Harry smashed the bottle of bourbon. Then, he tried to figure out when everything went wrong. Soon, Harry took out their old guns from their encounter in the elevator: the black one Brandon's, the white one Harry's. After a moment of silence, they pointed their guns at each other to challenge each other to see who would kill the other first. However, the Millennion agents arrived before either fired. Brandon and Harry fought back, but then, a few agents managed to make their way into the bar and aimed at Harry. Brandon took the bullets for Harry and fought off the agents without killing them. This confused both sides, Harry and the agents wondering why Brandon protected Harry, which resulted in Brandon becoming a Millennion's target as well. Brandon and Harry continued to fight off the agents, but Harry soon took several bullets to his midsection. In response, Brandon took out the offending agent with his bare hand before scaring off the other with misdirected bullets. During the intermission, as Brandon fiddled with his old gun by pulling its trigger (which only resulted in a click instead of a gunshot), he heard Harry reminiscing about their past. They began to see the visions of their past and all their old friends. Harry asked Brandon why he still protected him despite everything he had done to him, including murder Big Daddy and Maria and attempt to murder Mika. Harry then asked Brandon to kill him, because all his loved ones were no more and he couldn't bear the shame of living as a shadow of who he used to be. All of a sudden, a grenade was thrown into the building. Brandon noticed this and quickly dived on top of Harry to protect him. The grenade detonated, destroying the old bar. However, Brandon managed to protect Harry from getting crushed under a slab of concrete. Brandon got up and took out one of the offending agents. Unfortunately, he soon took an Anti-Necrolyze bullet to his leg, forcing him to his knees, but soon, Harry tossed him his (Harry's) old gun. Brandon used this to disable the agent who had just shot him. Sadly, Harry's action of tossing Brandon his old gun made him an open target and Harry was soon gunned down by the agents. Seeing this, Brandon got up and let out an anguished scream. As per Biscoe's order, the attack was suddenly stopped. Brandon stood still with Harry's old gun in his hand, but soon, his leg broke off and caused him to fall backwards. Harry then approached him, and seeing Harry, Brandon tearfully admitted that he kept making the same mistake of choosing Harry over Millennion every time. However, Brandon had no regrets and could never shoot Harry. Harry broke down in tears and apologized to Brandon profusely. Once again, they reminisced their past as children in the orphanage. Brandon suggested that they shoot each other to return to the freedom they once had. Brandon pointed Harry's old gun at Harry, while Harry pointed Brandon's old gun at Brandon. They smiled at each other and called each other's name once more before pulling the triggers. Overdose Note: This is from Grave's perspective. Overdose is set about five years later, after Grave is put into a hibernation state similar to after he died. Through this time Mika had met a new friend, Spike Hubie. After the house that Grave was in came under attack, Mika tried to defend it, but was forced to the floor by an Orgman. Grave awoke and attacked the Orgman, as well as killing all the Gangsters outside. He and Mika then left for the Truck, fighting off some gangsters on the way. Here Grave met Spike in person, and leaves to Hotel Gargoyle, where he could begin his new quest of destroying Seed. Here he meets Juji Kabane and Rocketbilly Redcadillac, who mistook him for the hotel manager that was receiving Seed from a mysterious woman. The two fought Grave, and their weapons were locked as Mika arrived to calm the three (two really, for Billy didn't want to fight). Juji discovers who Grave is and how "the man's a legend" in the Underworld. Billy and a refusive Juji joined the team, and the group went on a hunt for the source of Seed. After many searches, they arrive at a Casino, where the manager, after a beating from Juji, claims that Richard Wong of the Gatou gang is the one behind it all. The gang breaks in to their base of operations and meet Wong, who reveals that the Corsiones are the true villains behind it all and how he is infact the teams ally. The hideout comes under attack, and as Grave cleared the way, the team made a swift get away after Wong informs them to find a contact of his at Metaslica Imperial University. The contact is shot dead as the gang comes under fire from new enemies, mercenaries under Zell Condorbrave's command, a Corsione high ranker. After fighting their way out, the team enters the Corsione mansion, and Grave searches for three chess pieces that open the door. At the other end, the Hotel Manager - who has been turned into an Orgman - greets them. Grave swiftly defeats him, yet the Corsiones escape. The team then enters a mental hospital/lab where Seed was created. The team discovers a huge creature constituted by Bear, Lee, and Bob. Grave beats it and escapes the exploding lab to meet Garino and Fangoram for the first time. Grave opens fire but his bullets are pushed away by Fangoram's Center Head and is hit by a shot, flying backwards into a wall. Grave is hit head on and knocked unconscious, critically wounded. Juji helps him back to the truck, where he is unconscious for a few hours. He manages to stand on his own without much blood, helping Juji stop Mika from giving him a direct blood transfusion, which would most likely have lead to her death. Grave and the team attack a castle where the Don is hiding out. He meets Zell, and defeats him and his elites, yet lets him live. As the three meet up again, they are interrupted by Fangoram bursting through a wall. Billy holds him off, despite protests from Juji and Mika, and the gang continues on the Don's trail. He plans to take off in his private plane and has the rest of the Corsiones hold Grave and Juji back from him and his son. After fighting through the runway, Grave meets an old friend, the ressurected Bunji Kugashira, now a Deadman. The two duke it out in their final battle, and Bunji loses yet again. Glad to fight and die against his friend, Bunji tells him he'll be waiting in Hell. Mika picks up Grave and Juji on the Truck as the plane begins take off. Juji stays behind to protect Mika and Spike as Grave jumps into the plane. After fighting through the cargo bay, Grave meets Sherry Walken, Bears daughter and wife of Harry McDowel. She fights to avenge her husband's death, but is beaten. She questions how many must die before Grave is satisfied. Fighting a bit further Grave finds the Don on his knees to a hologram of Garino, who has taken over the Corsiones, now the new Don, he injects Denito with Seed, and shifts him into a huge spider monster. He explains that the plane is rigged with explosives, and Grave will die in the explosion. Grave gets onto the outside of the plane and fights Denito, beating him with ease before riding the plane down to the ground, strangely unharmed. Searching around the wreckage, he finds the Truck, with the injured bodies of Juji, Mika and Billy. Juji explains how Fangoram kicked open the back with an unconscious Billy before beating Mika and Juji. He pointed the Center Head at Spike, who had Mika in his arms, yet did not fire, and left. Spike then injected Mika with Seed. Mika awakes, glowing an icy blue, Juji angrily curses Spike for turning Mika into a monster, yet she objects, for Spike saved her life with Seed. With Spike missing and Juji spectulating his teaming with Garino, the team track him to the Lab where Grave met Fangoram, and go deep under it, finding Spike at a large door. Juji opens fire, yet Mika defends Spike from the bullets, as Spike asks how she is. He explains how Seed works, and its different effects on people. Spike shows the door is made to be indestructible, and is opened bya DNA scanner. Spike puts his hand on the scanner, and it reads him as Garino. As the door opens he explains who he is, Garino's clone. Explaining why he stayed with Mika was to exploit Grave and use him to get revenge on Garino. He also says how much he despised Mika, barely being able to stand her. Juji asks if he betrayed them, Spike denies this, and Juji believes him. Mika slaps him and laughs, annoyed about how he hates her despite making soup for him once. The gang goes through the door, ready to fight Garino to the death. After going through an enemy filled room, Grave finds his dreaded rival, Fangoram. Fangoram, angered by the deaths of his friends at Grave's hands, prepares to fight Grave to the death. After many wounds, Fangoram finally dies, lying on his Center Head which is standing in the shape of the cross. Going through one last tunnel, Grave finds Garino. Juji opens fire but Garino holds the bullets in the air with newly acquired powers, and reveals a large space craft. He explains how he met an alien race known as Methuselah, or Seed, that wish to expand its reign, and in exchange for their technology, he'd allow them to. He then focuses his strange psychic abilities to levitate Spike, claiming that their minds are connected, thus he was able to see and hear everything Spike sensed. He forces him to fire upon himself, but holds the bullets in the air. He sighs at how much of a failure Spike was, before releasing the bullets, hitting Spike. Spike, with the last of his strength, fires at the spacecraft, before falling into Grave's arms. In anger he, Juji and Billy prepare to finish Garino. His spacecraft is destroyed and the 3 use their greatest powers and finish him with combined demolition shots. Garino falls to the floor, passing the counter-seed to an almost transformed Mika. He claims its only a prototype, but hopes it can help, a present for them entertaining him. He asks Juji if he believes him, before dying. Juji believes him, and as the Spacecraft explodes, Grave injects the counter-seed in Mika, speaking gently and wishing that Mika lives. As Juji and Billy leave, Grave is back in hibernation, to sleep until needed again. Personality In the game, Grave is an extremely silent person, even moreso than when he was human. Despite being almost incapable of feeling, he proves to still be his kind self to his friends. In the anime, Grave is much more talkative, although still quite a silent figure. He is usually stoic, but he is actually capable of feeling and showing emotions, such as shedding tears when his friends die. When placed against adversaries, Grave is ruthless (although he does spare human enemies like Millennion agents), but to his friends, he is kind and gentle. List of Demolition Shots: Gungrave *'Death Blow:' Grave crouches down and hoists the Coffin onto his right shoulder, before it opens a hatch to fire ahead a missile. *'Bullet Dance:' Taking the Coffin and hoisting it under his right arm, Grave activates its machine gun attachment, which activates a jet on its back to allow him to spin around and assail all foes near him. All bullets fired explode on contact. *'Hellhound Roar:' As Grave crouches and readies the Coffin, he instead places it flat upright on his shoulder. Three ports are then ejected to fire three missiles at different angled trajectories to destroy all foes in a wider radius. *'Raging Inferno:' A Bullet Dance in where the munitions are greater, allowing Grave to destroy and annihilate more enemies. At its end, Grave will use the additional munitions to jump up, spin, and assault more enemies that are on a higher elevation. *'Graveyard Special:' Executed when Grave has at least one Stock available and when a boss in their Seed form are at a low fraction of health. Bringing them to the realm of Beyond the Grave, a decrepit and desolate graveyard wasteland lit by a grim red moon in the distance, Grave then finishes them off for good in a cinematic display. **'Poundmax Execution:' Wearing the Coffin up right, the top of the Coffin ejects four missile ports, and launches them in synchronization. As Bob is grievously injured, the missiles blow him apart one by one. **'Lee Execution:' Grave readies down for a more intricate Bullet Dance; as the jets on the back of the Coffin propel itself and Grave, the momentum goes faster and faster until the Coffin decides to unleash a storm of bullets. Unable to find a proper opening, Balladbird is blasted apart by the fusillades. **'Walken Execution:' With Bear unable to handle Grave's assault and goes in reverse to recover, Grave then fires off a final Death Blow that detonates and blows up Bear helpless. **'Kugashira Execution:' In stride, Grave runs forward. Jumping and grabbing the Coffin, Grave then slides and skids across the scene standing, firing off a non stop volley from the Coffin straight ahead. Kugashira, unable to react and recover fast enough in time, is ripped to shreds by the firing. **'Big Daddy Execution:' As the twisted remains of Big Daddy are on its last legs, Grave launches four missiles and fires one off personally. With the missiles blasting apart the monstrosity, Big Daddy is able to be put to rest for good by Grave. **'Alien Execution:' In an all out display, Grave unleashes all Executions he had unleashed on the Big Four in order, wiping out the enigmatic menace for good. Overdose *Front **'Level 1:' Death Blow: Grave pulls out his coffin, holding it like a Rocket Launcher, and fires a missle forward. **'Level 2: '''Fatality Bringer: Grave activates the machine gun attachment on his Coffin, firing wildly forward. **'Level 3:' Cerberus O.D: Grave's coffin enlarges, larger Left and Right heads appearing. He locks his arms into these guns and fires a large missile. *Surround **'Level 1:' Bullet Dance: Grave activates the machine gun attachment, and spins in circles, jumping near the end. **'Level 2:' Doom's Rain: Grave opens 6 missle ports on his coffin, and fires them all around. **'Level 3:' Executioner's Blood: Grave goes insane with his pistols, ending with a backflip and his main game pose as his coffin lands behind him. *Bullet-Time **'Level 1:' Day of the Grave: Everything goes in slow motion **'Level 2:' Night of the Grave: Much longer, and much slower. **'Level 3:''' Dawn of the Grave: EVEN longer and slower. Trivia The game manual lists Grave as being 26 years old. This would apply to him at the time of his death, as more than 13 years pass between Brandon's death and the events of Gungrave. References Category:Characters Category:Necrolyze Category:Non Speakable Characters